AUSTRALIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Everyone will get the virus

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 2,814, and more than 82,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness. The federal government has responded to the growing crisis by extending its ban on direct travel from mainland China for another week, while it recently activated an emergency response plan. Meanwhile, Professor Ian Mackay from the University of Queensland doubts that the coronavirus can be contained and warns that it will most likely become endemic. He adds that most people will become infected with the coronavirus at some stage, and for most people the symptoms will be no worse than a bad head cold.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

PM won’t identify foreign spy ring

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 26-Feb-20

ASIO’s director-general Mike Burgess has declined to identify any countries behind a recently-exposed foreign spy ring. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also refused to do so, citing national interest concerns. However, Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick says nations such as the US and Canada have "called out" the countries that are involved in espionage and foreign influence. He has suggested that China is the "most likely culprit".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CENTRE ALLIANCE

What’s our strategy for slump in wake of virus?

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 25 : 26-Feb-20

Research by Roy Morgan shows that one-in-six Australian businesses have already been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. This includes sectors of the economy that are among the biggest employers, such as manufacturing and education. However, small and medium enterprises are likely to be hardest hit by the economic fallout from the virus. The federal government is therefore to be commended for proposing to require large companies to pay suppliers more promptly. At present, the proposed legislation only applies to businesses with turnover of up to $10m, but it should be expanded to include medium-sized businesses.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Virus triggers surplus retreat

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 26-Feb-20

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 2,711, and more than 80,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness. Meanwhile, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned that the virus will have a greater economic impact on the Australian economy than the summer bushfires, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed the impact of the virus is not restricted to the education and tourism sectors. Chris Richardson of Deloitte Access Economics says there is still a chance that the government will achieve a Budget surplus for 2019-20.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

ALP target a business bodyblow

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Elias Visontay
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Feb-20

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has criticised Labor’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, describing it as "reckless and irresponsible". Labor leader Anthony Albanese has indicated that the net zero emissions target will be economy-wide, prompting concern among sectors such as agriculture and logistics. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has warned that achieving this target would require Australia to eliminate most of its cattle herd, which would in turn result in higher costs for consumers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED

Practical focus for fire inquiry

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Rachel Baxendale, David Ross, Sarah Elks, Yoni Bashan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 21-Feb-20

The federal government has released the terms of reference for its bushfires royal commission, which will be headed by former defence force chief Mark Binskin. The six-month inquiry’s focus will be on natural disaster management and improving Australia’s resilience to natural disasters. Labor and the Greens have criticised the government for excluding policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the inquiry’s terms of reference.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Labor backs net-zero emissions, won’t use Kyoto credits

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Feb-20

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will use a speech on 21 February to commit Labor to a target of net zero carbons emissions by 2050. It will replace Labor’s previous target of reducing emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, which was rejected by voters at the May 2019 election. Albanese will also stress that Labor will not use Kyoto carry-over credits or provide any financial support for the construction of coal-fired power stations.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Fair Work in grip of ALP influence

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 20-Feb-20

The Australian Mines & Metals Association has expressed concern that Labor appointees have dominated the rulings made by the Fair Work Commission in recent years. AMMA says that 94 per cent of cases heard by the full bench of the FWC between 2017 and 2019 were presided over by Labor appointees. AMMA CEO Steve Knott adds that four members of the FWC – all appointed by Labor – heard 87 per cent of the cases during this period. He says AMMA has raised the issue with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Drop car tax, Treasurer told

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Original article by Patrick Commins, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 19-Feb-20

Tim Wilson, Craig Kelly and Jason Falinski are among the Liberal MPs who argue that the federal government’s luxury car tax should be abolished, given that it was introduced to protect local car manufacturers. The tax on imported vehicles raised some $675m in 2018-19, and this is expected to rise to $750m by 2022-23. Motor Trades Association of Australia CEO Richard Dudley describes it as an "unconscionable tax" that should have been scrapped when local car manufacturing ceased in 2017.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, MOTOR TRADES ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Firms too slack on getting wages right

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 19-Feb-20

The federal government’s crackdown on wage theft could include ‘naming and shaming’ companies that underpay their staff and disqualifying executives from holding board seats. Attorney-General Christian Porter says companies that underpay their employees could face a range of penalties in addition to civil or criminal ones. He has dismissed suggestions that the growing issue of wage underpayments is due to the complexity of the modern awards system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT